This old news clipping among
Claffey/Miller photographs and papers was my first exposure to the name
John F. Miller. These photographs in a very old black satchel were
the possessions of my paternal grandmother Mary B. Miller Claffey.
Since she is mentioned in the article (Wm. Claffey Jr. and family), as
attending the function, I assumed John F. Miller must be a relative.
Further research proved him to be her grandfather, therefore great, great
grandfather to me. Also found among Mary B. Claffey's possessions
were about 200 photographs, tintypes and snapshots which have mostly identified
as Miller and Claffey family members. Several pictures, however are
still unidentified. I would therefore gladly exchange Xeroxed copies
if anyone can help with or verify identification.
John Franklin Miller was the grandson
of Benjamin Miller and Hannah Beatty Miller (later Mrs. Moses Day).
He was born Nov. 17,1820, in Amwell Twp., Washington County, Pa, the fourth
son of Joseph and Permelia Harris Miller.
Much has
been written about his grandfather Benjamin Miller - Revolutionary Patriot
who is reported to be buried somewhere on the old family farm in Amwell
Twp, Washington County, Pa.
And even more
about his father Joseph Miller, veteran of War of 1812, who is reported
to have walked all the way home from Chataqua, New York to Washington County,
part of the trip carrying equipment of his brother Benjamin, who was ill.
These weary travelers arrived home the day before Christmas in 1812, then
soon after in the spring of 1813, Joseph married Permelia Harris, herself
a daughter of a Revolutionary Veteran.
These two men are
discussed in Beers (p. 1893) History of Washington County, Pa, in the biographical
sketch of Steven D. Miller, brother of John F. Miller.
John F. Miller's
life story however to this point has been recorded only in fragments of
information stuck here and there in official documents. This article is
meant to combine as much information as possible about him and therefore
piece together at least a portion of his life story. Until about
two years ago, I knew nothing of him. I began to gather information for
my own application for "National Society Daughters of The American Revolution"
membership. John Franklin Miller was my great grandfather and I have
discovered quite a lot about him in the past two years. I have visited
his grave, read from his obituary that he died on Thanksgiving Day from
an accidental fall from an upstairs bedroom window, at the home of his
son John Miller in Waynesburg, Pa.
Siblings all born Amwell Twp, Washington
County, Pa include;
1. Nehemiah Miller
born April 19, 1814, no death date.
2. Mulvina Miller
born 1816, died 1833.
3. William Miller
born Sept. 11, 1818, no death date.
*4. John F Miller, born
Nov. 17, 1820, died Nov. 26, 1903 (my gr, gr grandfather)
5. Benjamin Miller
born March 25, 1823, died June 19, 1881.
6. Tunis Miller
born Aug. 16, 1825, died Sept. 29, 1921
7. Steven D. Miller born Aug.
29, 1833, died April 6, 1902
John F. Miller was raised just north
of Ten Mile Village, Amwell Twp. Pa. on the family farm. He, like
his father and grandfather was a farmer and carpenter. He spent most
of his life in and around that area. He most certainly attended the
Pleasant Hill one room grade school one half mile east of Ten Mile Village
across the road from the Pleasant Hill Presbyterian Church.
He was a lifelong member of that church.
This church was a most
important aspect of his life for he is mentioned many times in it's historical
records. January 1842 saw an unusually large upsurge of new members,
thirty eight in all. He became a member by profession of faith at
age of twenty two years. Another member among those joining the church
that January 1842 was Deborah Fulton, (possibly a neighbor, for an Amwell
Township map of 1876 records H. Fulton as living on property adjoining
the John F Miller farm). John and Deborah were married two years
later on Feb. 6, 1844. Their only child, an infant daughter, died
at birth November 1, 1845. Deborah died just one month later on December
3, 1845, aged 19 years, 4 months and 24 days. Mother and child
are buried in the Pleasant Hill Cemetery adjoining the Pleasant Hill Presbyterian
Church of Ten Mile with John F. and many members of his second family.
One year later John
F. Miller married his second wife, Martha DeFrance, December 30, 1846 in
Monongahela City, Pa. Martha was the daughter of Allison DeFrance
and Martha Allender DeFrance of Donegal Township near Claysville, Pa.
Martha DeFrance Miller moved to her husband's family home in Ten Mile,
Pa. and over the next 26 years bore him twelve children.
Children of John F Miller and Martha
Defrance
1. Osborn Miller, b. Sept. 28, 1848,
d. Sept. 15, 1852, aged 4 years
*2. Joseph Allison Miller, b. June 10,
1850, d. March 28, 1910 (my great grandfather)
married Sara Elizabeth Burwell, 4 children
3. Mulvina E. Miller, b. April 16,
1852, d. May 25, 1931 mar. Daniel Baker no known children
4. Osborn Miller, [obit 3] b. June
8, 1854, d. July 27, 1934, married Sara Meloy, 3 children
5. Martha Jane Miller, b. Mar 23, 1856,
d. Feb. 10, 1901, married Absolom Beiry,
no known children
6. John Ewing Miller, b. Jan. 10, 1858,
d. March 11, 1932, married Emma Rowe, 1 son
7. Allison DeFrance Miller, b Aug.
29, 1959 d. date unknown
married Bessy Sowers, 1 daughter
8. Alma Miller, b. Oct. 5, 1860, d.
Oct. 12, 1860, aged 1 week
9. Austin Miller, b. Sept. 21, 1861,
d. Oct. 5, 1861, aged three weeks
10. Pamelia Miller, b. Oct. 25, 1862,
d. date unknown married Robert Ross Holmes, 1 known son
11. Lafayette DeFrance Miller, b June
6, 1865 d. Oct. 9, 1916, married Hannah May Yoders,
2 children
12. Charles D Miller, born Sept. 28,
1872, died May 10, 1897 aged 25 years, unmarried
*2 Above Joseph Allison Miller was the
father of my grand mother Mary B Miller Claffey. It was about the
time of Joseph A.'s birth in 1850 that John F. began to take on active
role in the Pleasant Hill Presbyterian Church and became the Sabbath School
Librarian. Prior to this, he and his brother Tunis Miller also served
as lay moderators before the system was changed from lay to pastoral moderators
in 1850. In 1873 he was elected elder, a position he held until his
death in 1903. Also from June 3, 1877 until August 23, 1890, John
F. Miller was Clerk of Session of The Pleasant Hill Presbyterian Church
of Ten
Mile, Pa.
He and at least five
other members of his family are listed as a subscribers to rebuild the
church in 1882. John F.'s brother Tunis worked on the building committee.
John F Miller, himself a carpenter, was awarded the contracts to
a. tear down the old structure
-- $75.00
b. take up the floor
-- $9.50
c. take out seats
-- $2.00
d. after church was completed
-- @ .38 per foot to erect a fence of pinee palings.
John F Miller was paid a total of $213.91 when
the work was completed. The new church was dedicated December 10, 1882.
That lovely country church still stands today
and the well kept adjoining cemetery holds the remains of John Franklin
Miller, his two wives, several of his thirteen children, several
of his siblings along with his parents Joseph and Permelia Miller.
Obituaries of both Martha
DeFrance Miller [obit 2] and John F
Miller [obit 1] are on the following page.
Sources--
Washington County,
Pa Beers 1893
Mounts-Claffey Obituaries,
Washington News Papers compiled 1994 by Glenn W and Carol Ann Mounts
Census records Washington
Pa. 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880
Rural Reflections
of Amwell Township, pub 1978
The 140th Anniversary
History of Pleasant Hill Church compiled by Rev Fred Cochran
Benjamin Miller,
Revolutionary Patriot and His Descendants compiled by Virginia Miller Baker,
Percy Miller Lydick,
Bess Breese, Elva Miller, Irene Miller Hill, Aldene Miller Thompson |